... we go car shopping.
So, last week I noticed an ever so minor squeak coming from somewhere just behind my left ear in the 550. I've checked my safety belt mount, the door frame, checked the plastic bits, the rubber bits, and I just can't seem to find it. After a few days Mrs Dunderhi confirmed that it actually existed and that I wasn't making it up. So the obvious next step was to think about a new car.
Since we currently have two sedans in our garage we figured we might due for a change to something more utilitarian like an X5 and something less utilitarian like a Z4. Best of all, a fully loaded X5 5.0 and a Z4 35is would combine for a lower total lease payment than my current 550 loan payment. Heck, there would even be an extra $30 of equity we can cash out of the deal. Well, if it lowers the monthly payments, then Mrs. D is all for it, so she said let's go car shopping.
I recommended we start with the competition, as we enjoyed our previous MB SL & GL. At the MB dealer, I started to check out the SLK and it wasn't even 30 seconds before a CA swooped down to start telling me about obvious factoids, like "it has a folding hard top". Geez give me a break! After a few minutes, Mrs D grew weary of the CA and ventured off on her own. I'm a bit more tolerant and let him hover over me as I checked the car out. When I was done with the SLK, I decided to check out the SL550. Mrs D intercepted me and declared that there was a car that I really needed to see. I told her I really wanted to check out the SL550 that I had in my sights. She followed me to the SL, but she kept saying that there was something I really needed to see. Well after I got done with my thorough inspection, I indulged Mrs D and followed her over to a diamond white SL63. It had the carbon fiber tidbits, 19" front/20" rear wheels, the performance pack, and other options giving it a healthy sticker price of $168k. She has good taste in cars; luckily there wasn't an SLS vert on the showroom floor. I was sold, but she wasn't done, because she wanted me to follow her to a GL450. Although I was still drooling over the SL63, the CA started drooling in overdrive and he asked me if I wanted to buy an SL63 AND a GL? I rolled my eyes, thought to myself, well maybe, but not from you.
After I had enough of the annoying CA we ventured over to the BMW dealer around the corner. I went straight to the Z4 and wouldn't you know it, Mrs D found the M6 vert and wanted me to see it right away. The M6 was very nice, but I had to remind her that she was there to check out the X5! Eventually we made our way to an X5. We met with a very helpful CA who knew his BMWs and quickly realized I knew my BMWs. We got along. After some good exchanges we ended our discussion about when we thought the ED M6s will no longer come out of allocation and a good deal can be struck. He was eager to strike a good deal ASAP, but I am hoping to be patient... well I guess it depends on whether or not I can find that squeak.
Anyway, I started the day, thinking that we can get a X5 for Mrs D a not too expensive toy for me, but now I can't decide between an SL or an M6. If only Mrs D stayed home. :rofl:
P.S. Tomorrow morning, Mrs D plans to ride in the back seat of the 550 to locate and silence the squeak, so she doesn't have to listen to me say, "but honey, you told me I just had to look at the SL63" for the next 39 months.
So, last week I noticed an ever so minor squeak coming from somewhere just behind my left ear in the 550. I've checked my safety belt mount, the door frame, checked the plastic bits, the rubber bits, and I just can't seem to find it. After a few days Mrs Dunderhi confirmed that it actually existed and that I wasn't making it up. So the obvious next step was to think about a new car.
Since we currently have two sedans in our garage we figured we might due for a change to something more utilitarian like an X5 and something less utilitarian like a Z4. Best of all, a fully loaded X5 5.0 and a Z4 35is would combine for a lower total lease payment than my current 550 loan payment. Heck, there would even be an extra $30 of equity we can cash out of the deal. Well, if it lowers the monthly payments, then Mrs. D is all for it, so she said let's go car shopping.
I recommended we start with the competition, as we enjoyed our previous MB SL & GL. At the MB dealer, I started to check out the SLK and it wasn't even 30 seconds before a CA swooped down to start telling me about obvious factoids, like "it has a folding hard top". Geez give me a break! After a few minutes, Mrs D grew weary of the CA and ventured off on her own. I'm a bit more tolerant and let him hover over me as I checked the car out. When I was done with the SLK, I decided to check out the SL550. Mrs D intercepted me and declared that there was a car that I really needed to see. I told her I really wanted to check out the SL550 that I had in my sights. She followed me to the SL, but she kept saying that there was something I really needed to see. Well after I got done with my thorough inspection, I indulged Mrs D and followed her over to a diamond white SL63. It had the carbon fiber tidbits, 19" front/20" rear wheels, the performance pack, and other options giving it a healthy sticker price of $168k. She has good taste in cars; luckily there wasn't an SLS vert on the showroom floor. I was sold, but she wasn't done, because she wanted me to follow her to a GL450. Although I was still drooling over the SL63, the CA started drooling in overdrive and he asked me if I wanted to buy an SL63 AND a GL? I rolled my eyes, thought to myself, well maybe, but not from you.
After I had enough of the annoying CA we ventured over to the BMW dealer around the corner. I went straight to the Z4 and wouldn't you know it, Mrs D found the M6 vert and wanted me to see it right away. The M6 was very nice, but I had to remind her that she was there to check out the X5! Eventually we made our way to an X5. We met with a very helpful CA who knew his BMWs and quickly realized I knew my BMWs. We got along. After some good exchanges we ended our discussion about when we thought the ED M6s will no longer come out of allocation and a good deal can be struck. He was eager to strike a good deal ASAP, but I am hoping to be patient... well I guess it depends on whether or not I can find that squeak.
Anyway, I started the day, thinking that we can get a X5 for Mrs D a not too expensive toy for me, but now I can't decide between an SL or an M6. If only Mrs D stayed home. :rofl:
P.S. Tomorrow morning, Mrs D plans to ride in the back seat of the 550 to locate and silence the squeak, so she doesn't have to listen to me say, "but honey, you told me I just had to look at the SL63" for the next 39 months.